This invention relates generally to shoes with heels and more specifically to a cover for protecting the heel of a woman's shoe, as well as protecting wood floors from high impact of narrow heels.
The heels on most women's footwear are generally made of hard plastic or wooden blocks called “heel blocks” to which various materials, such as for instance leather, suede, and fabric are applied. The thin soft heel materials are often merely glued to heel blocks, are very fragile, and tend to damage easily. The damage may be caused by such events as catching the back of the heel on a curb, escalator, or leg of a chair; driving a car; walking down the stairs; etc. The most destructive form of damage often occurs when the heel slips into the crack or grate of a sidewalk.
Additionally, the bottom portions of the heels, the so-called “top lifts” are prone to serious damage and wear when the shoes are worn outside. The top lifts are often made of hard plastic or rubber that is a material that wears down relatively quickly. The worn down top lifts should be replaced to protect the heel cover and the heel block.
Further, narrow heels, such as stiletto heels having small top lifts, tend to damage fine wood floors, leaving small indentations in the lacquer polish. As a consequence, some venues, halls, old museums and the like prohibit the use of stiletto heels in their buildings. Also, heel covers, especially those made of fabric, can sustain serious damage when exposed to various elements such as water, snow, rain or puddles. Such damage may take place at an outdoor event, wedding, garden party and the like.
The present invention contemplates elimination of problems associated with conventional unprotected heels of shoes and provision of a shoe heel sleeve that can be selectively engaged with and disengaged from a heel of a shoe.